Knitting-machine



T. LOVELIDGE. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 21,396. Patent-ed Aug. 31, 1858.

I A V STATES.

THOMAS LOVELID'GE, OF GERMANTOIVN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND W'M. FULFIRLH, OF SAME PLACE.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS LOVELIDGE, of Germantown, in. the county of Philadel phia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knitting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of knitting machines, in which two rows of vertically reciprocating, hooked needles, with pawls near their points, and two sets of vibrating and horizontally reciprocating thread guides are used, which knitting machines are technically termed double ribbed machines, and my improve ment consists in introducing between the thread guides a pressure bar, which is so connected to the said guides, as to press the loops formed on the needles down the latter and over the pawls, in the manner fully set forth hereafter, so that the fabric may consist of single instead of double threaded loops, and thus be more open, light and elastic, and similar to the fabrics knitted by hand, and at the same time require less material, than the fabric produced by ordinary machines.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of sufiicient of a double-ribbed knitting machine to show my improvement. Fig. 2 a transverse sectional view on the line 1, 2 (Fig. 1). Fig. 3 the same as Fig. 2, with the moving parts in a different position. Fig. 4 enlarged views of one of the knitting needles.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

(A) and (A) are the opposite side frames of the machine, connected together by suit able cross bars.

(B) and (B) are the two needle bars, furnished with any required number of hooked needles (1)) and (6) having the usual pawls (0) which are capable of assuming the two positions shown in red and black lines (Fig. 4). The needle bars are arranged to slide up and down in guides (f) secured to the inside of the opposite side frames (A) and (A).

(C) is a shaft, arranged to vibrate as well as to move horizontally in the opposite side frames. To this shaft the bars (D) and (D) are attached by means of strips (6'), (6), each bar being furnished with a series of thread guides (cl) and (cZ), corresponding in number to that of the needles.

is the pressure bar, situated between the two bars (D) and (D) and hung loosely to rods (F), which are connected to bars projecting from and secured to the shaft (0).

Various plans, all equally eflicacious and well known to those familiar with the art of knitting, have been resorted to for imparting the required motion to the needles and thread-guides. It will be sufficient, therefore, to observe here, that a combined, horizontal, reciprocating and vibratory movement is imparted to the thread guides, both series moving simultaneously in the same direction, and that an upward and downward motion (in contrary directions to each other) is imparted to the needles, a vertical, reciprocating movement being, at the same time, imparted to the pressure plate (E,) this movement being independent of its vibrating and horizontally reciprocating motion, which it obtains by connection with the shaft (0.) The combined action of the thread guides and needles, for forming and interlocking the loops of the fabric, is too well known to need a detailed description.

(H) represents one set of threads, each thread of which passes through the eye of one of the thread guides (d), and (H) represents the opposite set of threads, each of which passes through an eye in one of the thread guides ((Z,). WVhen these thread guides are in the position shown in (Fig. 2,) and vibrating in the direction of the arrow, the guide (cl) has lapped its thread around the needle (3)), while the thread (11,) previously lapped around the needle (6) is just escaping from the same, prior to taking its proper place as a loop of the fabric. Just as the thread guides and needles have assumed this position, the pressure bar (E) has suddenly descended and forced the loops of the threads (H) down their respective needles, slipping them over the points of the pawls (0), which have points of the pawls so fitting against the hooks of the needles, that the loops readily slip from the latter. On the further movement of the machine,'the same operation is performed on the threads (H) by the pressure bar, acting in conjunction with the needles (6) and thread guides (d). as the machine operates, the loops are formed and interlocked, so as to produce the desired fabric, at the same time the pressure bar so acts on the thread, as to depress the loops and allow them to escape. Prior to the escape of the loops however, they have, by the usual process of knitting, become interlocked with the opposite threads, so as to' form the desired fabric. But, by

allowing them to escape from the needles at particular intervals during the movement Thus of the machine, single threaded loops only, instead of double threaded loops, are formed in producing the fabric, as will be readily understood by those engaged in the art of knitting. Instead, therefore, of the usual dense and stiff, double ribbed fabric produced by ordinary machines of this class, my improvement affords the means of producing one, more light, open and elastic; equal in fact to the fabrics produced by hand machines. In addition to this advantage, by my improvement, a saving of at least one fourth of the material is effected.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent The pressure plate E, situated between the two rows of thread guides (Z and cl, and operated so as to press the loops down the needles substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS LOVELIDGE.

WVit-nesses HENRY HowsoN, HENRY ODIoRNE. 

